Immigration Reject Denver Request To Stay Away From Courts

An official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement has rejected a request from officials in Denver to stop making raids at the city's courthouses. The letter, sent late last month arrived city offices on Monday.

More than a dozen officials in Denver had written to federal immigration officials in the city asking them to respect sensitive locations when carrying out raids, "especially at our near Denver schools or in Denver courthouses."

"ICE has used courthouses in Denver as staging areas for enforcement activities," the officials wrote. "However, we believe this practice has and will increasingly lead to an environment of fear for victims and witnesses.

"Already, we have victims of domestic violence refusing to come to court for fear of immigration consequences, which results in violent criminals being released into the community."

Matthew Albence, an executive associate director of ICE, wrote to Mayor Michael Hancock saying they would not honor the request.

"Because courthouse visitors are typically screened upon entry to search for weapons and other contraband, the safety risks for the arresting officers and person being arrested are substantially decreased," ICE executive associate director Matthew T. Albence wrote in the letter. (Subscribe to local news alerts on Patch).

The letter to ICE had been signed by Hancock, all members of Denver City Council, Denver County Court Presiding Judge Theresa Spahn, District Attorney Beth McCann, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg, and Denver City Attorney Kristin Bronson.

Mayor Hancock said the letter asked ICE to abide by a 2011 agreement concerning enforcement activities at or focused on sensitive locations.

"This is a simple request for immigration officials to enforce federal laws while respecting sensitive areas so our residents can go about their daily lives," he says. "

enforcement activities," the officials wrote. "However, we believe this practice has and will increasingly lead to an environment of fear for victims and witnesses.

"People must feel safe to work with the city and our officers, which is why we are focused on enacting policies and practices that protect people’s safety and their rights while helping federal authorities to focus on removing dangerous and violent felons from our streets."

Hancock said the city "will not shield criminals" but needs to make sure that the city acts in a way that enhances and doesn't detract from public safety.

"This is critical to the safety of our entire community," he said.

The letter cites a couple of recent examples of ICE activities that appear to violate the 2011 agreement: a March 14 raid near Colorado High School Charter and appearances at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse to make arrests.

"Identifying yourselves as 'police confuses and erodes the trust between our local police and the immigrant community endangering the community at large," the officials wrote. "Again, Denver's concerns in this regard are being increasingly expressed by city leaders and local law enforcement officials elsewhere in the United States."

Photo: John Moore/Staff/Getty Images News/Getty Images